In connection with the previous art specifically designed for effecting and repairing skin surgical wounds, the present invention is closely related to:
A) Devices or instruments that include a groove or track to direct the motion of a surgical device as a skin incision is effected. Some examples of these are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,526,409; 4,114,624; 3,983,878; 4,467,805 and 3,568,276.
Although the aforesaid devices permit the control of the length and shape of an incision, none of them limits the depth of the skin cut. Unlike the previous technical inventions, the cutting surgical element in our present device is fitted and secured to a member that compresses the skin surface, thus preventing an unwanted deeper cut from occurring.
B) Devices or instruments that include a means for bringing the edges of the wound together without sutures or staples. Some examples of these are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,759,193; 5,814,067; 5,584,856 and 6,860,895 B1. Within this group, the devices that most closely resemble the present invention include an adhesive flexible sheet placed upon opposite sides of the wound, which becomes the structural means upon which a slide fastener or zipper operates to close the incision. In some cases, such strip is initially a single member which is later severed together with the skin as the incision is effected. In other cases, the strip consists of two separate members prior to effecting the incision. Some examples of these are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,694; 2,012,755; 2,873,741; 2,752,921; 4,881,546; 5,377,695 and 4,535,772.
Even if the aforesaid devices avoid the use of sutures or staples to close an incision, some of them employ clamps or jagged elements that may additionally damage the skin tissue. Those devices which do not pierce through the skin to fasten the edges of the wound can only close the skin superficially, thus preventing the edges from being brought together with equal force along the full depth of the wound. In such cases an unwanted opening may occur beneath the superficial skin union, which is likely to breed purulent, serum or haematic collections, as well as increase the chances of a non-aesthetic healing. In none of the aforementioned cases does the risk of hemorrhage decrease as compared to that of an ordinary suture.
Unlike the previous art, the present invention fastens the edges of the wound producing no additional damage and attains a strong and early union of the edges of the incision in full depth. By the action of the slide fastener or zipper the superficial edges of the wound are brought together while the electrical coagulation fastens those edges in full depth. Besides bracing the union, the rapid wound coagulating process reduces the risk of hemorrhage and creates a physical barrier that blocks the access to infectious agents.
C) Devices or instruments that include contact electrodes designed for a special kind of electrical coagulation (i.e. electrocoaptation) employed to effect the union or coaptation of portions of body tissues. The present invention is also related to other instruments that utilize contact electrodes supplied with a cutting surgical device. Some examples of these are found among U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,657,016; 6,010,516; 6,638,273 B1; 5,669,934; 6,224,593 B1; 5,769,848 and 6,645,205 B2.
In all abovementioned cases, the electrical coaptation technique is applied by means of electrodes made up of two pincer-like terminal members used to bring both parts of body tissue together and later join them by means of electrical coagulation. No device within this group is designed for the closure of a skin wound or could be employed successfully to that end. Moreover, among the existent technical devices, the electrodes supplied with a cutting edge are designed for severing portions of tissue by means of electrical energy as well as for applying electrical coagulation on the edges of a wound as the incision is being effected, thus avoiding the hemorrhage of the severed tissue while the wound remains open. None of these electrodes with cutting edges is currently employed to close or coagulate a wound while it is being repaired.
By contrast with the previous art, the present invention includes a one-member contact electrode supplied with a cutting edge that is employed to effect an incision as well as to close the edges of a skin wound by means of electrical coaptation. The incision on the skin is effected by the cutting edge without recourse to electrical energy. During the closure of an incision, as the slide fastener or zipper mechanically fastens the edges of the wound, the electrode electrically coagulates the section where the edges are joined, thus fastening them in full depth.